BBDO Consulting just released the results of survey that show that over 65 percent of operators will have implemented Fixed-Mobile Convergence (FMC) services into their product suites over the next three years. Among FMC services, respondents identified most closely with the dual-mode handset.

Recent research from ABI Research posits that by 2011, shipments of dual-mode handsets will be well in excess of 300 million worldwide.

But some sources in the industry believe in a less rosy scenario. Louis E. Frenzel, wireless/communications editor at Wireless System Design, writes the following in a recent editor’s note, “With so many manufacturers making dual-mode cell phones, you would think this was a hot market. It is not. In fact, NO cellular carrier offers these handsets and probably will not, as they compete directly with their own businesses.”

According to the report, “When asked to define the types of services or benefits they associate with FMC, and being able to mention more than one, 75% of respondents chose a dual-mode handset. Others solutions included:

One phone bill (34%);

A home zone rate plan (27%);

Voice mail convergence (13%);

A Skype-like solution (9%);or

“Other” (11%).

Other findings included the following:

When asked if they were planning to implement FMC into their service

26% of respondents said they have already implemented it,;

11% said they planned on implementing some services by the end of the year

18% said they planned on doing it by next year;

13% said they intended to implement some FMC services within the next 3 years.

13% of respondents did not yet plan to implement FMC into their service, and 19% said it was not relevant.

The survey data is based on online research conducted by BBDO Consulting Israel, during September 2006.